It would be one thing for the Cubs to lose following Mike Quade’s closed door meeting to address the team’s embarrassing play following Monday’s loss against Cincinnati.

But it’s an entirely different matter to lose by allowing seven –SEVEN- unearned runs via four errors.

So as the first place Reds scored five runs without the help of a hit or the ball leaving the infield, it appeared as though Quade’s bunch isn’t responding well to his plea for more focus, and that’s a very scary thought in the middle of May.

Quade certainly didn’t help his cause by letting Kerry Wood burn in the eighth. As the setup man struggled to get outs the bullpen was dead silent—even while the game remained within reach.

But this was yet another sign the skipper himself has struggled to push the right buttons. He gambled too long with James Russell in the rotation, failed to find playing time for Tyler Colvin and apparently misfired on his delivery during Monday’s post game tongue lashing.